For a long time I recommended sending your resume or cover letter formatted as a .doc file, with the .doc extension; for example, susan-ireland-resume-technical-support.doc. Well, times have changed, and I now recommend sending your resume or cover letter formatted as a .docx file, with the .docx extension; for example, susan-ireland-resume-technical-support.docx. Also see: Should I Send...more »

The question of whether to send your resume as a PDF or Word file has become more important over the last few years. Many job seekers prefer to send their resumes as a PDF because the formatting is not likely to get scrambled when the document is transferred from one computer to another. However, some...more »

Does good resume design really matter? Will an employer like you more if you use a certain font or add lines between your resume sections? And should you make your heading centered or lined up all on the left or all on the right? Some of this stuff really matters. Why? Because recruiters and employers...more »

One of the fun steps in writing your resume is to decide what resume design (also called "layout") to use. Of course, you want your design to be attractive and easy to read since it's part of making a good first impression with an employer or recruiter. A good-looking resume will make you look good on...more »

I hate junk mail! I’m talking about the endless amounts of paper delivered by my friendly postman. I try to clear this useless stuff out of my life as soon as I retrieve if from my mailbox. First I throw away the obvious junk without opening it… the real estate cards (I’m not looking for...more »

There's an unconventional resume format that comes in handy every once in a while for special cases. It's the achievement resume format and it's just the right one for Bridget's husband, who wants to return to a former career after 12 years of doing something else. Take a look. You might also like: Resume Examples...more »

You've changed careers several times in your work life. It's been fun and you've gained a lot of experience. But on your resume, your work history looks scattered. What resume format will frame your career change history to show that you're really a focused professional? Here's what we suggested for DiAnn, a job seeker who...more »

If you have trouble with resume formatting because you can't see the fine lines and subtle spacing on your screen, you're not alone. Wendy is sight impaired and needs to create a resume. Read on to see what I suggest she do to keep her resume format simple, yet professional. I'm Sight Impaired and Need...more »

I believe in working smarter, not harder. In the case of resume writing, that means you need a professional resume template. Sure, you could open a blank page in Word and start typing from scratch. Set your own margins, indents, bullet points, fonts, borders, bold, underlines, and special features to make your resume look organized...more »

Ever quit your job... just walked right out one day because your boss verbally abused you? Rachel did. Here's her email telling us what happened. Now she wants to know how to handle the "I quit my job" issue in her resume format. I Quit My Job! Do I Have to Explain Why on My...more »